Man Shot Dead on Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye

The Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye is known as a laid-back tourism getaway several miles from San Pedro Town. But on Thursday night, the high-end entertainment hub was the scene of a fatal shooting. Forty-six-year-old Steven Arceo, who lives and works on the beach, was shot and killed inside a property on Thursday night. The complainant told police that Arceo had entered the property through a window and was shot dead. But family and friends of the deceased say that while Arceo had a troubled past, he had tried to reform his life and was really someone who could be trusted in the area. News Five’s Marion Ali went to Secret Beach to find out what transpired. Here’s that report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Forty-six-year-old Steven Arceo was shot and killed on Thursday night, as he reportedly entered this house through one of its windows. The incident happened sometime around nine p.m., in the Secret Beach area of Ambergris Caye. Police say that twenty-seven-year-old Alexi Chavarria and his family were asleep when he heard noises inside his house and discovered an intruder entering the house through a kitchen window. Chavarria told police that he shot the man with his licensed nine-millimeter pistol. But family and friends of the deceased are at a loss as to why he was there because he was considered a trustworthy individual after he had reformed his life.

 

Evan Hynes, Friend of Steven Arceo

“Eena life everybody goh through dehn differences, but the man dah wa very nice man. If you get to know him, I know him over, I wudda she 15 years. And Stephen, now a well-known person, especially back at Secret Beach. We call him the president of Secret Beach cause when you think about Secret Beach, you think about Steven.”

 

Marion Ali

“He’s been back here for how long?”

 

Evan Hynes

“I’d say at least 10 years.”

 

Marion Ali

“He’s been back here, what working, living?”

 

Evan Hynes

“He does a little hustling; he sells a little coconut. I wudda put my head on the block that Steven back ya wudda more protect back than bruk in. Or if somebody du bruk in anywhere back he wudda stop dehn like wa security back ya.”

 

 

 

Today, Arceo’s fellow coconut water vendors in the area paid respect to his memory with his name on their sign boards. His aunt, Suzana Arceo told News Five that her nephew’s killing reopens an old wound, one that she never got justice for.

 

Suzana Arceo, Aunt of Deceased

“He was a good guy at Secret beach. Everybody knows him as Coco Steven, because he sells his coconut right now, we went through his things. We find where he has his tread license. He finds everything is a lot. He has his lot everything that he was doing to sell his coconut there and everybody knows that he goes there and sell his coconut.”

 

 

 

Marion Ali

“What do you believe happened?”

 

Suzana Arceo

“What I believe really happened, I think that guy that shoot him have an issue with him. I don’t know the guy, but that’s what I really believe. Because if, even though if Steven went to thief, give him a warning shot. Shoot in the air, shoot his foot, but not his head and the way he shoot my nephew. No, man, this open a wound to me, 10 years ago, I lost a son on gun violence and nothing, no justice, nothing was made. And I think the same thing is gonna go for Steven. There’s no justice.”

 

Arceo says there’s little that the police could tell her today other than the matter is under investigation. Evan Hynes says if the incident had not happened, Arceo would have been his usual self, making them laugh today.

 

Evan Hynes

“He mi wa deh right there and here who are the conversation apart from that man Secret Beach last one  Good person very good person  like I said, I don’t know what actually went on but  I know the guy Very good guy. Good hearted guy.”

 

Police are investigating the incident. Marion Ali for News Five.